Getting around Serbia: transport and apps

The Soko train

• Belgrade to Novi Sad takes about 35 minutes on the high-speed Soko service - genuinely modern, cheap and worth using.
• It now runs all the way to Subotica. The rebuilt Novi Sad - Subotica section opened to 200 km/h traffic on 12 October 2025, so Belgrade to Subotica is a little over an hour.
• The through train to Budapest is still not running. Signalling problems have pushed it back from March 2026 to early autumn at the earliest; until it starts, Budapest means changing at Subotica and using the Szeged connection.
• Book online or at the station. It fills at weekends.

Buses

• Everything else is a bus. Serbia's intercity network is comprehensive and cheap, run from bus stations rather than to a single timetable.
• Buy at the station. Some stations charge a small platform fee on top of the ticket, which is normal and not a scam.

Driving

• Motorway tolls are paid at booths - keep cash or a card handy.
• A green card may be required for insurance depending on your policy; check before driving in.
• Roads are good on the corridors and poor off them.